Investigating the Childhood Blindness Story of Imam Bukhari

Did Imam Bukhari Become Blind in Childhood? — An Analysis of Authenticity and Chain of Narration


Source: Fatāwā ‘Ilmiyyah – Tawḍīḥ al-Aḥkām, Vol. 2, p. 443

Question​

Is it true that Imām al-Bukhārī رحمه الله became blind in his childhood, and that his eyesight was later restored due to his mother’s supplications? A detailed verification of the chain of narration is required.

Narration of the Incident​

Maulana Irshad-ul-Haq al-Athari writes in his book Āfāt al-Naẓar wa ‘Ilājuhā:


“During his early years, Imām Muḥammad ibn Ismā‘īl al-Bukhārī رحمه الله lost his eyesight due to an ailment. His mother, a devout and pious woman known for her virtuous character, would constantly pray: ‘O Allah, restore my son’s eyesight.’ One night, she saw Prophet Ibrāhīm عليه السلام in a dream, who said: ‘Due to your abundance of supplication, Allah has restored your son’s eyesight.’ Upon awakening, she saw that Allah had indeed returned her son’s vision.”
(Tārīkh Baghdād, 2/10; Hady al-Sārī, p. 478)
(Āfāt al-Naẓar wa ‘Ilājuhā, p. 60, Idārat al-‘Ulūm al-Athariyyah, Faisalabad)

Chain of Narration — According to Tārīkh Baghdād​

“حدثنی أبو القاسم عبد الله بن أحمد بن علي السوذرجاني بأصبهان من لفظه قال: نبأنا علي بن محمد بن الحسين الفقيه قال: نبأنا خلف بن محمد الخيّام قال: سمعت أبا محمد عبد الله بن محمد بن إسحاق السمّسار يقول: سمعت شيخي يقول: ذهبت عينا محمد بن إسماعيل في صغره، فرأت والدته في المنام إبراهيم الخليل عليه السلام فقال لها: يا هذه قد ردّ الله على ابنك بصره لكثرة بكائك أو لكثرة دعائك، قال: فأصبح وقد ردّ الله عليه بصره.”
(Tārīkh Baghdād, 2/10, T 424)

Evaluation of Narrators​

① Shaykh – Name unknown, therefore Majhūl (unknown).


② Abu Muhammad al-Mu’adhdhin ‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Isḥāq al-Samsār – No biographical details available, hence Majhūl al-ḥāl.


③ Khalaf ibn Muhammad al-Khayyām – Severely weak narrator.

• Imām al-Khalīlī: “He is very weak.”
  (al-Irshād li’l-Khalīlī, 3/972; Lisān al-Mīzān, 4/404)
• Also criticized by al-Ḥākim al-Naysābūrī, Ibn Abī Zur‘ah, and Abū Sa‘d al-Idrīsī.

④ ‘Alī ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Faqīh – No information available, Majhūl al-ḥāl.


⑤ Abū al-Qāsim ‘Abd Allah ibn Aḥmad ibn ‘Alī al-Sawdhurjānī – Also Majhūl.

Conclusion on This Chain​

This chain is severely weak due to multiple Majhūl narrators and the presence of Khalaf ibn Muhammad al-Khayyām, who is very weak. It cannot be relied upon.

Narration Cited by Ibn Ḥajar al-‘Asqalānī​

In Hady al-Sārī, the introduction to Fatḥ al-Bārī, Ibn Ḥajar رحمه الله states:


“Fa rawā Ghanjār in Tārīkh Bukhārī and al-Lālakā’ī in Sharḥ al-Sunnah in the chapter on the Karāmāt of the Awliyā’ that Muḥammad ibn Ismā‘īl lost his eyesight in childhood.”
(Hady al-Sārī, p. 478)

Chain from Ghanjār​

“Anā Khalaf ibn Muhammad, qāl: sami‘tu Aḥmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Faḍl al-Balkhī yaqūl: sami‘tu abī yaqūl: Dhahabat ‘aynā Muḥammad ibn Ismā‘īl fī ṣigharihi.”
(Taghlīq al-Ta‘līq, 5/388)

• Ghanjār (Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Sulaymān ibn Kāmal al-Bukhārī): His biography is found in Siyar A‘lām al-Nubalā’ (17/304).
• Khalaf ibn Muhammad al-Khayyām – Already established as severely weak.
• Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Faḍl al-Balkhī – No biographical details, hence Majhūl.

Narration in al-Lālakā’ī’s Work​

Al-Lālakā’ī in Karāmāt Awliyā’ Allāh narrates this incident through:


“Akhbaranā Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Ḥafṣ ‘an Ghanjār.”
(Karāmāt Awliyā’ Allāh, p. 290, ḥadīth 229)


However, due to a typographical or transcription error in the printed edition, distortions have occurred in the chain.

Final Conclusion​

• All chains of narration share the common narrator Khalaf ibn Muhammad al-Khayyām, who is severely weak.
• Several other narrators in these chains are Majhūl (unknown) or unreliable.
• Therefore, this entire story is not established with an authentic chain.

هٰذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب